ARCG Aquaponics system

Aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics to make a much more sustainable system and very productive growing system.

We will feed the fish locally grown worms, and soldier fly larvae and maybe some occasional fish food. The fish waste is processed by bacteria from Ammonia to Nitrites then other bacteria change the Nitrites to Nitrates. This nutrient water is pumped to a vegetable grow bed with small river stones as a structural media. When the grow bed is full with water an auto siphon will completely drain them emptying the cleaned water from the back to the fish tank. The flood and drain cycle is to take around 12-15 minutes.

Charles from Ecolicious has offered to help us set this up, and take it down again if necessary. We have a verbal go ahead to use some of the space behind the martial arts hut, but we may need to remove anything we put there within 2 years.

We propose to re-use as much local materials as we can, and also make it aesthetically pleasing.

The initial idea is to dig a bathtub into the ground and cover it with rocks to make a nice pond. Also bath tubs or spa baths from the local recovery centre, 'The Bower', will be used for the vegetable grow beds.